


Dinner Service

by DhampirsDrinkEspresso



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anaphylaxis, And Bazine, Arguments, Armitage Hux is a Jerk, Bisexual Rey (Star Wars), Chef Kylo Ren, Chef Ren Has a Potty Mouth, Children Use Profanity, F/F, F/M, Food allergy, M/M, Nut allergy, Oral Allergy Syndrome, Profanity, Rey has bad luck with dating, Sexual Content, She dated Kaydel, So Is Mitaka, Swearing, Well One Child Does, anaphylactic shock, and poe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:54:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23611867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DhampirsDrinkEspresso/pseuds/DhampirsDrinkEspresso
Summary: Rey has terrible luck with dating, but she really wants to go to the grand opening tasting event at Supremacy, the hot new restaurant by celebrity chef Kylo Ren. Unfortunately her date is a jerk, but she can still enjoy the food...at least until it nearly kills her.
Relationships: Kaydel Ko Connix/Jannah, Kylo Ren/Rey, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 94
Kudos: 476
Collections: Numerous OTPS Infinite Fandoms





	1. Table 12

**Author's Note:**

> *Sigh*...the LAST thing I need is a new WIP, but here we are. The Food Allergy/Chef Kylo AU that I apparently need to write. This one should be fairly short, maybe 3-5 chapters? Hopefully? No smut yet, but it will happen.
> 
> Gerolamo Emiliani is the patron saint of orphans (thanks Google), thus Rey's last name here is the Anglicized 'St. Jerome.'

She’d had her share of bad dates. It was becoming a bit of a running joke amongst her friends. If Rey liked someone enough to even consider a date, then they were bad news.

There had been the guy who threw up on her then acted like it was her fault. She didn’t even remember his name.

Bazine Netal, the first woman Rey had dated, had proven to be batshit crazy.

Snap Wexley was sweet, but he lived with his mother. In a one-bedroom apartment. With only one bed.

There had been a few exceptions to the rule, of course. Poe was one of her best friends, and their attempt at dating had been a disaster, but it led to him meeting Finn and those two had never been happier. Kaydel was super sweet and had saved them all from eviction when the rent increased unexpectedly, becoming a fourth roommate in the small house Rey, Finn, and Rose had found their senior year at uni. Rey sometimes found herself wishing things had worked out with Kay, but they both freely admitted that the sparks just weren’t there. It just would have been easier, less lonely. And that was what Rey was looking for. She didn’t want to be alone anymore.

She supposed she wasn’t, having built a family around herself after a lifetime alone. But she wanted love. Or at least lust, preferably with someone she could stand to be around outside the bedroom.

Unfortunately, most of her dates, even the blind dates she grudgingly agreed to, ended up more like…well, this one.

Rey blinked, realizing her date had asked her a question. “I’m sorry, I missed that.”

Armitage Hux, her current date, scrunched his face up in annoyance. “No matter,” he said, then launched into more boasting about his job, mentioning again his six figure salary and how he was only “slumming it” at the opening of this new restaurant because he knew the owner and was planning on using the evening as a networking opportunity, and wasn’t Rey thrilled he had deigned to bring her along.

Okay, he hadn’t actually said that last part, but he may as well have. Rey took a breath and attempted to focus.

If she hadn’t been so excited to be here at the invitation-only opening night of Supremacy by Chef Kylo Ren, she would have already left.

But the food was going to make it worth it.

Probably.

She’d gotten to try a few things already, a nice perk of living with 2 employees (one of whom was dating a third, and he may as well just move in too, as often as he stayed over) as they got ready for the grand opening.

Rey knew she could have come anyway, Poe, as the restaurant General Manager, had offered to give his guest invitations to Rey and Rose, but Rose had to work and Rey hadn’t wanted to be the awkward single woman dining in some corner all alone. Her boss had also invited her, but Rey hadn’t wanted to intrude on the woman’s night out with her husband and their closest friends. She knew they didn’t get much time together with their busy schedules.

So, when a friend of a friend had put her in touch with Hux, who needed a last minute plus one after his date cancelled due to a burst appendix, she had agreed.

She’d known things wouldn’t be going well as soon as she met Hux—he insisted on everyone calling him by his surname—and he began by telling her he supposed she looked passably decent and commenting on how rude it had been of his original date to cancel at the last minute (for a burst appendix—her own burst appendix). Still, it was a free meal and she wouldn’t have to sit alone, so she decided to go through with the evening.

Listening to his self-important prattling, she was certainly regretting that choice. Once again, she considered just leaving, and letting one of her friends get her in another time (even before opening, all reservations had been fully booked for six months out).

Then the doors opened and Hux muttered, “Come along, then,” and walked away from her, not even checking to see if she had followed.

Probably for the best, as he would have been sure to see the look on her face.

Poe was greeting people at the door, collecting invitations and shaking hands before handing the patrons off to the waiting hostesses for seating. He squeezed her hand and grinned at her eyeroll, leaning in and whispering that he could seat them at separate tables if she wanted. Rey smiled back. “Tempting but no, I know you won’t have an empty seat anywhere.”

For his part, Hux didn’t even seem to notice she had paused.

When the server brought water and a wine list, Hux waved her off, imperiously stating they would have the suggested pairings.

He hadn’t bothered to ask if Rey wanted wine.

She caught the server before she bustled off. “Actually, I’ll just have water, please.” Rey was rewarded with a bright smile before the woman continued away.

Hux huffed in annoyance but (by some miracle) didn’t say anything.

At least not until the server—Jannah, Kaydel had said her name was Jannah—came back with his wine, and then he demanded to speak to the manager. Poe was still busy at the door, but the service manager reported promptly to their table, only to be lectured on the supposed lack of service and then ordered to assign them a new server. For his part, the manager (Rey couldn’t remember his name, and no one had name tags here), offered to take care of them personally.

Rey handed him the pre-printed allergy card she had slipped into her bag earlier. Finn and Poe had assured her they would take care of anything, but she didn’t want to take a chance. The man looked at the card in his hand and then glanced back at Rey’s face. “No changes or substitutions,” he said.

“I called ahead,” Rey said firmly, “and have been assured that as I have a true and life-threateningly severe allergy that exceptions would be made.”

She glanced up and saw Poe making his way to their table. “Is there a problem already, Mitaka? We haven’t even started serving bread yet.”

“No sir, just taking over one of Jannah’s tables. With the 2 no shows from the agency she and Kaydel had too many.”

Poe gave the other man a measuring look. He glanced at Rey, and she knew he was going to ask her a question, but there was a commotion by the door and Poe hurried off to deal with whatever that was.

Mitaka gave Hux a look then walked off to the kitchen, card still in his hand, and Rey relaxed a bit. She absolutely trusted Finn and Poe and Kay to look out for her, but they couldn’t be everywhere at once and in a busy kitchen, things could happen, thus the allergy cards.

Once runners and servers started bringing out the courses, Hux stopped attempting to talk to her at all, staring sulkily at his wine instead, and that suited Rey perfectly as she enjoyed the first item on Chef Ren’s tasting menu for the evening.

Things went along quite well after that, until the salad course. The moment the first bite hit her tongue, Rey knew she was in trouble.

_Walnuts._

They must have brought her the salad with the walnuts in the dressing…

Almost instantly, her lips and tongue gave a dull, burning throb, her lower lip erupting in blistering hives, and she could feel tingling along her jaw. She scrambled for her handbag, one hand going to her throat as she began to cough a bit as her airway constricted. She was trembling, and a wave of dizziness hit her quickly. Fingers going numb, she grasped at the epinephrine auto injector she always carried, but it fell to the floor.

And then so did Rey.

Poe was already running across the restaurant, cell phone in hand and 911 already dialed, when someone at a nearby table screamed as Rey hit the floor.

One of the bussers slammed in through the “out” door of the kitchen. “Chef, Poe said to tell you we have a medical emergency at table 12.”

Kylo Ren—celebrity chef, restaurant owner, and (at least according to the tabloids) ‘culinary bad boy,’ cursed and looked up from where he was plating the next course for table 7, growling his annoyance. One of the line cooks, what was the kid’s name, Finn, ran towards the door, getting there just behind him. Kylo blocked the exit with one arm. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going? Get back to your station.”

For his part, Finn just glared back, ducked under the massive tattooed arm blocking his way, and shoved his way out of the kitchen.

Kylo followed, yelling a stream of curses and attempting to hide his growing panic. This could ruin everything. He couldn’t afford to let Supremacy fail. Well, monetarily he would be fine, but this was his once chance to prove himself after breaking with his mentor.

There was a woman on the floor by table 12. He could just see her feet. Poe and Finn were kneeling on either side of her, Poe upending the woman’s purse onto the floor. “It’s not here!” Poe yelled, “the case is empty. She must have dropped it.” Finn crawled across the floor, looking under chairs and tables for whatever it was as the blonde server, the one with the weird double bun hairstyle, (Kay something…Kayden? Kaitlyn? Kaydel, that was it) came running across the room as well and Kylo found himself wondering what the fuck was wrong with his staff. The chief of staff at the local hospital was there, kneeling by the woman, the chief of surgery right behind her, and the Chief of Police was working on clearing the space around the woman.

Finn popped out from under the table, something in his hand. “FOUND IT!” he called out, and Kylo watched as one of the doctors grabbed the item and…stabbed the woman in the thigh with it.

Oh.

_Oh._

_SHIT._

The wail of sirens grew louder as the emergency services first responders began to arrive. The doctors kneeling on the floor began snapping out orders and grabbing items from the EMTs. This was handled. The woman could not _possibly_ get better care than from his Aunt Maz and Uncle Chewie. He needed his staff back on task, needed to regain control of the patrons who were NOT in immediate danger of dying. “Poe!” The restaurant manager glanced over at him and then…turned around.

Fucking ignoring him.

The fuck?

No.

“POE! DON’T FUCKING IGNORE ME!”

Kylo almost didn’t realize his feet were carrying him closer until he was close enough to hear the yelling and see that Poe was a little occupied holding Finn back from attacking the service manager and the woman’s…date? Dinner companion. Whatever, the man with the red hair and superior sneer certainly didn’t seem to care what was happening to her.

Mitaka was hissing something at the red head, gesturing with some kind of…paper?

He dropped the small piece of cardstock and Kylo was compelled to pick it up, his rage returning as he read the words on the card, printed in a bold font and translated into Spanish, French, German, and what he was pretty sure might be Vietnamese and Korean.

FOOD ALLERGY

NO PEANUTS, ALMONDS, OR TREE NUTS OF ANY KIND

And then more text below that, listing all possible tree nuts and oils.

“THE FUCK IS THIS MITAKA?”

The shorter man turned in slow motion, horror on his face as he began babbling something about not knowing, insisting the other man told him it wasn’t true.

He punched both of them.

Just once.

He had much better self-control than he had several years ago. Much better than when he earned his reputation as a ‘bad boy’ prone to violent outbursts (although to be fair he’d been far more likely to destroy furniture or equipment than hit people).

Someone touched his elbow and he turned, finding his mother standing there, a stern expression on her face.

“They had it coming,” he muttered.

“You should have let Lando handle them. He _is_ the Chief of Police.”

Kylo shrugged. “He can take it from here.”

He turned to Poe, finding the other man with an arm around Finn, whispering something to him as the EMTs steered the stretcher towards the door. Finn nodded and pulled away, following them and calling out to Kaydel. “Kay, I’m going with her, you come with Poe…and call Rose.”

“Already on it, she’s meeting us there.”

Kylo ground his teeth, grabbing Finn’s sleeve before he could move two steps, “Where the hell do you three think you’re going?”

“The hospital,” Finn hissed at him, jerking away.

“You’re in the middle of a shift. Let someone in her family handle it. She must have an emergency contact.”

“We _are_ her family,” Kaydel said.

“I _am_ her emergency contact,” Finn said.

Poe just held a hand up and glared at him. “Don’t. Just fucking don’t.”

And then the three of them just…walked out while Chef Kylo Ren stared after them in shock, barely registering his mother’s voice demanding Poe call her, “as soon as you know anything.”

He turned to her. “Who the fuck is this woman that everyone here seems to know her except me?” he growled, stomping away before his mother could answer.

With half his staff—well half of the competent ones, anyway—gone and the evening effectively ruined, he needed to start cleaning up. Most of the patrons were already filing out the door.

So much for his grand opening.

At least he wouldn’t have to refund anyone. Of course, thanks to Poe’s brilliant marketing strategy of an invitation only _complimentary_ tasting event, none of them had paid in the first place.

Rey woke to dim lighting, annoying beeping, the distinct antiseptic smell of the hospital, and the feeling of something heavy pressing down on her chest and neck.

There wasn’t anything there. It just felt like there should be.

There was a sound from somewhere beside her and she turned her head, blinking in shock at the person sitting in the chair by her bed.

She had expected Finn, and of course Poe because wherever Finn was Poe usually wasn’t far away. Or Rose, or Kaydel. Even her boss.

But never in a million years would she have expected to find Kylo Ren by her hospital bed.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” he said, voice surprisingly soft. He looked at her a moment, seemingly considering something, then stood up (and up…and up…the man was massive) and just…walked out of the room. Rey blinked in confusion, wondering if she were still unconscious and this was all just some weird fever-dream.

Finn and Poe showed up about about 20 minutes after a nurse came into the room to check on Rey and tell her the doctor would be in shortly. A woman in a white lab coat and deep blue scrubs came in just after Finn and Poe, introducing herself as Dr. Pava.

“How are you feeling, Ms. St. Jerome?”

Rey swallowed once, twice, attempted to clear her throat, and finally managed to croak out a response. “Better. Hurts…hurts to breathe.”

“I imagine so. The good news is that you _are_ breathing. I will not lie to you, it was close. You were fortunate your friends knew what to do.” Rey nodded. “It didn’t hurt that Drs. Kanata and Bakker were at the restaurant, but your friends here probably saved your life by finding your auto injector and calling 911.” Dr. Pava made some notes and looked at Rey again. “I want to keep you here overnight, maybe two depending on how you are tomorrow.”

Rey gasped, feeling panic setting in. She had insurance, but the deductible was really high. There was no way she could pay for even the ambulance ride, much less a two night hospital stay. Her breathing quickened as a result of her panic and she started feeling like she was choking again, hands moving up to claw at her throat. Dr. Pava calmly grabbed the oxygen mask from the wall behind her, ordering Rey to try to breathe normally. “Ms. St. Jerome, I know many people have phobias of doctors and hospitals, but while you are under my care, I swear to you I will always do what’s best for you. And right now, that is staying here where we can monitor your vitals in the event of any extended or delayed reactions.”

Rey nodded, knowing the doctor was right. She felt a hand on hers and looked over to find Poe had reached out to her. “It’ll be okay, Sunshine. Whatever your insurance doesn’t cover, we’ll help you with. Somehow. We’ll find a way.”

After a few more questions and replacing the oxygen mask once Rey’s the numbers on one of the monitors were back at satisfactory levels, Dr. Pava excuses herself and Rey looked at her friends and felt the tears she had been holding back slip from her eyes. Finn stood and hugged her as well as he could around the wires and hoses and IV line.

A knock at the door was the only warning before her boss swept into the room, a flurry of barely contained energy, genuine warmth, and authority as always.

“Rey! It’s good to see you awake.”

“Leia! You didn’t have to come.”

“Nonsense! Of course, I was going to be here. Han is outside, too, and he sends his love. The nurses said you couldn’t have any more visitors right now, and I know you need to rest, but I just needed to see for myself that you were out of danger.” Rey gave the older woman a weak, watery smile.

Leia stayed only a few more minutes before excusing herself, pausing at the door to add, “Oh, and Rey, don’t worry about the hospital bills. Whatever your insurance doesn’t cover is already taken care of. You just focus on resting and getting better.”

And then Leia was gone before Rey could even argue.

There were fresh tear tracks on her sleeping face when Finn dropped a kiss on her forehead and then took Poe’s hand, letting his boyfriend lead him out of the room as he looked back at her again.

They had almost lost her.

All because that idiot date of hers had decided she was being overly dramatic about her allergies and paid off the _former_ service manager to just ignore her and bring the regular, unaltered menu items to the table.

Finding out Chef Ren punched them both had been gratifying, and although Finn had always respected the man for his talent and work ethic, that had been the first moment he actually liked anything about the man as a person.

The second moment was when he showed up at the hospital and apologized to Finn, Poe, and Kaydel for trying to stop them from leaving the restaurant. He was also pretty sure Chef Ren hadn’t realized Finn overheard him making arrangements to cover Rey’s hospital bill, either, but that was the moment Finn realized Poe was right about him not being a _complete_ asshole.

Yeah, he was probably also worried Rey might sue Supremacy, or Chef Ren himself, but that hadn’t seemed to be the concern at the time.

Finn shook his head and allowed Poe to lead him out to the car, exhausted from the long day. Rose and Kaydel had already gone home for the night, once assured Rey was out of the woods.

Kylo folded himself into his car, resting his head on the steering wheel for a moment before inserting the key.

He still wasn’t sure why he had even come to the hospital.

Or why he stayed.

He’d looked in on the woman, Rey, once more before leaving. She was sleeping and just looked so _young_. And helpless.

He didn’t like it.

Shaking his head, he started the car, relaxing as the engine purred to life and he felt the faint vibrations in the floorboard, rumbling up through his seat.

He was exhausted, and he should go home, but driving calmed him, and right now he needed calming.

He couldn’t believe someone could actually be so fucking stupid. They’d nearly killed her.

And he hadn’t even known what was happening in his own kitchen.

There were protocols, procedures, _rules_ about this for a reason. He’d checked, after closing up for the night, and there was a record that Rey had called ahead. They had a log for allergy prep requests.

Her food should have come directly from him, and yet he hadn’t even known. He was angry at Poe, and Finn, for not telling him. Angry at Mitaka for being an idiot. Angry at her date for being…himself.

But mostly, he was angry at himself. Kylo had been so overwhelmed with preparations for this night that he hadn’t personally checked the request logs, hadn’t looked at the color-coded seating chart, where any declared allergies were noted, the table marked in bright colors.

Ultimately, this was his fault. If he had followed his own procedures, rules and protocols he put in place above and beyond what was required by law, none of this would have happened.

He would speak to his staff about this, personally ensure they were all retrained.

And address why the FUCK Poe and Finn had thought it was okay not to make sure he knew what was happening in his kitchen.


	2. Apology Cakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey loses her temper, and then makes her apologies by way of baked goods.

Rey did end up staying in the hospital for the two nights, and then another when, on the day she should have been going home, they gave her peaches with breakfast and she found herself having another (albeit thankfully mild) allergic reaction.

She hadn’t ever reacted to any fruits before.

That prompted the doctor on call for the morning to order a laundry list of allergy tests for which they drew at least 5 vials of blood, and he advised her to avoid all stone fruits and be very careful of apples and raw vegetables, at least until her results came back in a few days and they could confirm which ones were the true danger. He mentioned something about cross-reactions, something called oral allergy syndrome, and birch pollen. It was all a bit much for Rey to process just yet.

Finally, on the fourth day she was ready to go home. Poe, Finn, and Kaydel were at Supremacy for mandatory training. Rose was at work as well, leaving Rey without a way home, or so she thought.

She was waiting for her discharge paperwork and the bloody wheelchair they were going to force on her (not to mention dreading having to pay for a taxi or ride share just to get home) when there was a brisk knock at the door. Han Solo poked his head in the room, hand over his eyes, as he called out “Hey, kid, you decent?” Rey laughed and playfully said no, never, but could he please pretend.

“Heard you need a way home. Leia wanted to come and get you herself, but she has a board meeting at the center.”

“How did you know?”

“Poe. Also, Maz and Chewie.”

Rey nodded, flushing a bit. The Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery had both come by to check on her during her stay. They were lovely people (if a bit of an oddly mismatched couple) but Rey hadn’t been completely comfortable with the extra attention. She tended to go out of her way NOT to be noticed. For years, her very survival had been dependent on blending in and it had become an instinctive response to new situations and people.

At least she was somewhat comfortable with Han and Leia. When she realized she didn’t have her keys and no one would be there to let her in, Han assured her she could wait at their house and he would drop her off when someone was around to let her in.

She wasn’t _that_ comfortable. They were lovely people, but she’d known them less than a year. Just the idea of spending the time in their home—unplanned—tightened her chest with anxiety.

She confirmed via text that Finn had taken her handbag—keys included—home, but she could come get either his or Kaydel’s since they would be leaving at the same time and even if they hadn’t, she and Rose would both be home at that point.

Which was how she and Han walked into Supremacy to find Chef Ren ranting at Finn and Poe—in front of the entire staff, no less—about how it was unacceptable they hadn’t kept him apprised of what was happening in his kitchen. Well, his _fucking_ kitchen. “She could have fucking died and that would fall on _me.”_

She’d heard tales about his temper.

She was anxious and exhausted.

She absolutely did _not_ appreciate the way he was treating her friends.

So, it was no surprise really when she finally snapped. Well, no surprise to anyone who knew her.

Which absolutely did not include Chef Ren.

He just stood in shocked silence when Rey began shouting back, poking him in the chest and giving him a shove as she grew more heated.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Finn said. “Come on Peanut, I’m taking you out of here before this gets violent.” The string of obscenities coming out of her mouth as Finn tossed her over his shoulder was actually fairly impressive. He carried her out of the restaurant as she squirmed and turned her ire on him. For his part, Finn just kept walking and Poe hurried to open the door for them.

Kylo blinked, stared at the door for a moment, and stormed into the kitchen, uttering his own string of obscenities before the clatter of cookware and metal utensils hitting the floor could be heard echoing through the building.

“Huh. That went well,” Han muttered, looking between the exit and the kitchen door and trying to decide which direction was safest.

He stepped towards the kitchen.

Han found the other man in the kitchen, leaning over a prep station with his eyes closed, chest heaving as he fought to control his breathing. Various cookware and utensils were scattered over the counter and around him on the floor. One mixing bowl wobbled sadly, dented enough it would likely be unusable.

“Dad?”

Han just nodded in greeting.

“I wasn’t…I wouldn’t have…”

“I don’t think it was you they were worried about. Girl’s got quite a temper, not to mention a mean right hook.”

Kylo blinked at his father. “You’re telling me, Finn hauled that woman out of here, the day she got out of the hospital, so _she_ wouldn’t punch _me_?”

“Yep. Well, partly.”

“Who the hell is this woman? And how do _you_ know her?”

“That’s Rey. She works at the center.”

“Ah.” Kylo busied himself with gathering the items he’d scattered about the kitchen, dumping them into the sink. He’d wash and sanitize it all himself. Later. “Wait…Rey from the center as in the one who helps you teach auto repair? And runs the cooking classes and whatever else?”

“That’s her.”

“Huh…she is…not what I pictured.”

“Ben—”

“Kylo, Dad. For the millionth time.”

“No.”

Kylo made a sound of exasperation, turning his back as he wiped down the prep station. “What did you come here for, anyway?”

“To check in on you.”

“Not in the kitchen. Why are you here at all?”

“Rey didn’t have a ride home from the hospital and your mother is in meetings all day, so I offered. But she didn’t have her keys, so she came to get Finn’s.”

“And of course you volunteered, always helpful, aren’t you?” Kylo grumbled. “Why didn’t she have a ride? And why would she need Finn’s keys?”

“Because they live together. Rey, Finn, Kaydel, and their friend Rose. They’re all roommates. Rose is working, and everyone else is here for _your_ mandatory training. By the way, you better get back out there. No one’s been yelled at for a whole 10 minutes.”

Han walked out, calling over his shoulder, “See you soon, BEN. And call your mother.”

The dented mixing bowl was completely crushed this time, after bouncing off the wall and then being flattened underfoot.

Rey was marginally calmer by the time Han stepped out of the restaurant. She was still furious, but there was no more yelling or cursing, and he was fairly sure she wasn’t going to punch anyone at the moment.

By the time Rose got home, Rey was calm again and feeling guilty. Rey practically met her roommate at the door, wringing her hands and biting at her bottom lip. Rose gave her a hug. “Hey, sweetie, I’m glad you’re okay. So sorry I couldn’t get out of that meeting and come pick you up.”

“It’s…it’s fine. Leia sent Han. I had to go by Supremacy and get Finn’s keys though, and…”

“Uh oh…what happened?”

“I, uh, may have lost my temper with Chef Ren.”

“ _Rey_.”

“I know! Believe me, I know. But he was yelling at Finn and Poe in front of EVERYONE and…I just reacted.”

Rose shook her head. “Let me change and we’ll go to the store.”

Rey visibly relaxed. “Thanks, Rosie.”

Rey wasn’t good at apologies. She was good with her hands, could repair things and build things, and as it turned out she was a damn good baker. So, when she was anxious or couldn’t sleep or needed to apologize to someone that’s what she did—she fixed things or she baked.

The time she accidentally broke Finn’s favorite coffee mug, she made peanut butter brownies and they gorged themselves while scrolling the internet to try and find a replacement mug. They never found that one, but she found two more he liked even better and managed to work out a trade with the seller, repairing the radiator on his car in exchange for the mint condition, limited edition mugs.

Finn had laughed and told her the brownies had been more than enough. He had asked her to bake some more. He never actually used the mugs, instead placing them on a shelf in his bedroom, next to a framed photo of himself, Rey, and Rose the day they graduated.

She broke up with Kaydel with a lovely cheesecake that had a shortbread crust. Kay had laughed and said it was probably for the best, because if Rey baked like this every time they had an argument, she would be dangerously overweight within six months.

The time she woke all her housemates—and Poe—because of a particularly bad nightmare, she started baking after they all went back to bed, and they woke to four kinds of muffins and fresh bread.

The others had all learned to recognize the signs, and when they found her pacing or wringing her hands, someone took her to the grocery store for whatever she needed for the recipe she had chosen.

It wasn’t exactly a hardship, other than the fact that if she had a bad week in terms of anxiety they were suddenly inundated with baked goods and in very real danger of being unable to button their pants because _of course_ they were going to eat every last crumb, and probably fight over them too.

Rose sat with her, just watching as she set out butter to soften, measured and mixed ingredients, put the pans in the oven, and cleaned up. They sat quietly, sipping at hot tea and had sandwiches while waiting for the oven timer to go off. Rose didn’t ask questions, just offered silent companionship and support while Rey went through the motions, visibly relaxing by the time her cakes were nearly done. They ate the rest of their sandwiches while the cakes cooled, and then Rose watched again while Rey whipped up a lemon glaze and drizzled it over the still warm cakes. Then she helped Rey package one into a box and cover the other to keep at home and led the way to the car.

Poe called when they were about halfway to Supremacy. Rose did something to answer the call on her car’s sound system. “Are you on the way?”

“Almost there, Poe, maybe 5 minutes,” Rose said. Rey glanced at her and shook her head. Leave it to Rose. She must have sent a mass text to the others that Rey was baking again. They knew what that meant.

“I’ll meet you at the door,” he said, crunching sounds indicating he was eating something. “What do we have this time?”

“Cake,” Rose chirped.

“Oh, what kind?”

“All butter pound cake with a lemon glaze,” Rey said with a grin as he made a sound of disgust. Poe claimed he hated lemon. That didn’t stop him from demolishing an entire dozen lemon-poppy seed muffins or the last of the lemon bars, he just complained the whole time.

Poe was already grumbling when he unlocked and opened the door for them. “You don’t have to have any, Poe,” Rey said. “Besides, this one’s not for you. There’s another at home you can complain about.”

“And how do you know I’m even coming over tonight?”

Rey just rolled her eyes, sweeping past him with a muttered, “It’s Tuesday, isn’t it?”

“I resemble that remark,” he called after her as she crossed the restaurant to the back room, knowing the staff would be gathered around the pushed together tables for dinner. They did it once a week, combining a staff meeting with a meal, and claiming it was a team building exercise (which it probably was). Rey had worked at restaurants before—admittedly not as upscale as Supremacy—and none of those had bothered with any such thing. Although, honestly, there hadn’t been much of a team at those tiny, hole in the wall dives to begin with.

She froze in the entryway to the back room, caught off guard by the sight that greeted her. Chef Ren was smiling, laughing at something someone had said, and he looked like a completely different person. He’d taken off his chef’s jacket, and the black t-shirt he wore clung to his broad shoulders and chest. He glanced up at her entry and froze, dark gaze narrowing in on her. She saw his hands clench on the table.

Rey took an unsteady step forward, thrusting out the cake box. “I, um, I baked you a cake. I’m sorry I lost my temper this afternoon. I shouldn’t have shoved you. Or said any of the things I did. Um, anyway, sorry again.” She let go of the box and turned around, intent on fleeing the building.

She didn’t make it far, the heavy thump of footsteps indicating Chef Ren had followed her. He caught her gently by the arm. “Hey, wait. Please.” Rey froze, turning to face him at the gentle tug on her elbow. “I owe you an apology, too. Probably a few of them. You were right to call me out on yelling at Poe and Finn, especially with an audience. And what happened the other night, God, you could have died because I didn’t pay enough attention and I am sorry for that.”

“You didn’t…it’s not your fault. I should have checked my food more carefully and made sure the message really was relayed to the kitchen—to _you_ —instead of just trusting someone else to handle things.

“Okay then. So, we’re both short-tempered and sorry for that. Do you think, can we maybe start over? Introduce ourselves properly and pretend I didn’t almost kill you and you didn’t call me some very inventive although not inaccurate names? And then maybe go eat cake?”

The hopeful half-smile he offered was rather endearing. Rey nodded her assent, taking the hand he offered. It was warm, pleasant, and his handshake was firm without being overbearing. “Rey St. Jerome, I live with Finn and Kaydel, and our other roommate Rose. She drove me here.”

“Nice to meet you, Kylo Ren. This is my restaurant.” He made a grand, sweeping gesture around the restaurant and then gallantly offered her his arm. Rey found herself giggling (she was NOT a giggler, where had that come from?) and looping a hand through his arm, letting him lead her back to join the staff (and Rose, who for some reason was perched on Poe’s lap with her feet on Finn’s knee when they walked in). Everyone had shifted down one seat, leaving places for Rey and Rose on either side of where Kylo had been seated at the head of the table. Rose settled into the chair next to Poe and Chef Ren pulled out Rey’s chair for her, paying no attention to the silence and wide-eyed stares.

“I don’t see any blood,” Kaydel muttered. “Jannah owes me 20 bucks.” The table erupted in laughter as the other server slapped a stack of fives and ones down in front of her.

Everyone seemed to be about halfway through what looked like an amazing meal.

“Have you eaten?” Kylo asked, looking expectantly at Rey.

She nodded. “Rose and I had sandwiches while the cake was in the oven.”

He made a face. “That barely counts.”

“Pop tarts and cereal barely count. Parmesan crusted grilled ham and cheese is perfection.” He gave her a measuring look. “But I wouldn’t refuse if you insisted,” she said with a cheeky grin, stealing a roasted baby potato off his plate and pausing with it in front of her lips as he stared. “I’m assuming you didn’t cook these in peanut oil or anything, right?”

“No, olive oil and rosemary. But definitely stay away from the brussels sprouts. And I can’t guarantee that,” he said, pointing his fork at the pilfered potato, “isn’t cross-contaminated.”

Rey thought about it, looked at his plate (no brussels sprouts and nothing to indicate he’d had any to begin with) and shrugged. “If you were really worried you would have stopped me. I’ll risk it.” She popped the potato in her mouth and made a sound of approval. Finn made a choking sound and began coughing in his seat beside Poe. Rey looked at him in concern. “You okay, Peanut?” He waved a hand, still coughing and reaching for his water glass while Poe patted his back. Rose was shooting her an odd look, and Rey couldn’t quite decipher what it was all about.

“You’re supposed to chew your food first, Finn,” Kylo muttered.

Finn coughed again. “Yes, Chef.”

Kylo made a face but Rey just laughed, drawing his attention again. He shoved his nearly empty plate away and looked at Rey. “Come with me.” He stalked off for the kitchen, not checking to see if she followed. Rey stole another potato from his abandoned plate and followed, barely hearing Poe’s ‘Huh, now that I did NOT expect,’ as she left the room.

In the kitchen, Kylo ducked into the walk in, calling out over his shoulder “Beef or chicken?”

“Beef?”

“You don’t sound sure.”

“I’m not exactly picky.”

He shrugged and carried a wrapped steak to one of the stations. “So, no nuts of any kind, any other allergies?”

“Maybe? I’m not sure, they did a lot of bloodwork at the hospital, but I haven’t gotten the results back. The doctor did say no fruits with a pit, and to be careful with raw fruits and vegetables…something about birch pollen, maybe?”

He nodded, eyes narrowed in thought as he moved back and forth, gathering utensils and ingredients and carrying them back. Rey found herself enjoying the view, watching the way he moved, the intense concentration on his face as he worked. In what seemed like no time she was presented with an absolutely beautifully plated steak with roasted baby potatoes and sautéed vegetables. It smelled just as heavenly as it looked. “This is the meal you _should_ have had the other night. Go ahead, eat with your friends,” he nodded towards the double doors leading out of the kitchen. “I’ll be out in a minute.” He was apparently going to clean up before he came back out.

Rey carried her plate to the table, noticing a lot of furious whispers and gestures as she entered the room. It all stopped as they realized she was in the room. She sat down, studying Poe and Rose (they were usually the easiest to read). Poe seemed to relax when he saw her plate, and Finn didn’t seem quite so panicked. Rose and Kaydel just kept grinning and giggling, and refusing to tell her what about, which in turn was making Finn look panicky again. Rey shrugged, cutting into her steak and taking a bite. It never occurred to her to hold back the almost obscene moan at the flavor and texture of the tender cut of beef, and of course that was the very moment Kylo returned.

“I’ll take that to mean it’s edible.”

Rey nodded her assent and attempted to mumble a yes around a mouthful of vegetables, moaning again when she speared a potato and popped it into her mouth. Poe and Rose laughed at her, while Finn just groaned and buried his face in his hands. “My God, woman, we have to get you a date,” Kaydel said. Rey just made a rude gesture and accepted the glass of water Kylo passed her.

Kylo grabbed a piece of bread from the nearest basket, methodically tearing off bites as he watched Rey eat. She didn’t exactly take her time, yet somehow, she seemed to be savoring every bite. It was gratifying in a way he had nearly forgotten in the years spent focusing on his ‘brand’ over producing quality food and building a reputation that way. He sipped his own water, listening to the banter of his staff and watching Rey eat, finding himself oddly content.

By the time they cut into the cake, the table had been cleared, most of the dishes washed, and most of the staff had made their way out. Poe had grabbed at a piece of cake, complaining the entire time about how the lemon ruined everything and yet making sure to scrape the glaze off the plate and lick his thumb clean.

“Hamlet, Act III, Scene II, line 230,” Kylo muttered, making Poe blink in confusion while Rey sputtered as she snorted while taking a sip of her water and ended up inhaling the liquid.

Kylo just took a bite of cake, refusing to answer Poe’s demands for what that was supposed to mean. His eyes widened as the play of flavors burst upon his tongue. The cake was dense and moist, appropriate for pound cake. Sweet, for sure, more so with the glaze, and the lemon added sour and just a hint of bitter. But there was a hint of salt, as well. He stared down at his plate, brain breaking down the flavors, trying to trace to their base ingredients.

“Salted butter?”

Rey looked up at him, beaming. “Just a bit. Mostly unsalted like the recipe calls for but I like the way it balances the sweet when there’s a bit of salted butter.”

“It’s good.”

If possible, her smile widened.

“I can’t bake for shit.” She seemed doubtful. “Really, I can’t. It’s too…rigid. You can’t really play with the ingredients or the measurements without the whole thing going to hell.”

She blinked again, tilting her head to the side as she considered. “I suppose that makes sense. I like the structure, having to adhere and get things just right, so that the ingredients are transformed into something completely new. There is still some wiggle room in baking. The aforementioned salted butter, for example.”

He thought about that as he finished his cake. In a lot of ways, he and Rey were a lot alike, and they had complementary strengths.

When Rey stood to leave with her friends, Kylo found himself wishing she would stay longer.

Which was insane.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The line from Hamlet that Kylo references is "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."


	3. Driven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey fights with Kylo. A lot. Poe thinks it's their version of flirting, and a conspiracy is born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoping to stick to my initial estimate of no more than 5 chapters but it may stretch to 6 or 7, as this chapter sort of veered off course a bit.

Over the course of weeks, it became a habit for Rey and Rose to drop in after closing for the Tuesday night staff dinner, usually bringing dessert along with them. The first week, Rey had a plate waiting for her with dishes altered to be safe and free of any of her allergens. The second week there was nothing on the table that should pose a danger, but Kylo still made it a point to go over every ingredient with her. By the third week, he was requesting (via Finn and Poe) specific baked goods to complement his menu. By the fourth week Rey’s drop ins were no longer limited to Tuesdays after hours. She tended to stop in on her way to work, before the restaurant opened for dinner, or in the mornings when she ran her errands and minimal staff was in, just accepting deliveries or cleaning and setting up for the day.

It was almost as if they were…friends. NO ONE managed to make Kylo Ren laugh as often as Rey. He didn’t even curse when she asked to drive his car. He didn’t even say no, just “maybe someday” or “we’ll see” which, considering how rarely he even let anyone else RIDE in the vehicle with him was shocking.

He seemed to enjoy watching her eat. If the food hadn’t been so amazing, she might have been more self-conscious about that. By all reports, he was more relaxed, friendlier even, on Tuesdays than any other day of the week. Rey pointed out that Supremacy was closed Sunday and Monday, so he was probably just well-rested. Poe, Finn, Kaydel, and even Jannah (who was officially dating Kaydel and becoming something of a fixture at the breakfast table) insisted it was all because of Rey. She thought they were all crazy. If anything, she made his life more difficult, what with having to alter his recipes and be so careful not to, well, not to kill her.

Still, even supposedly being more relaxed, she was constantly hearing accounts of him yelling at line cooks or servers or bussers, calling them incompetent morons (or worse), and he hadn’t stopped throwing things. She even witnessed such behavior a few more times, and truth be told she sometimes thought it was warranted. Not that she admitted that to _anyone_ , and definitely not ever to _him_. Despite her friends’ protests, she still had no problem getting in between Kylo and the target of his ire, regardless of who she thought was in the right. _That_ always devolved into a shouting match between Rey and Kylo, the two of them trading barbs and insults that rarely made any sense or even tangentially related to whatever the original tantrum had been about anyway.

Rey was, in a word, _distracting,_ to Chef Ren, and there was not a single employee at Supremacy who wasn’t grateful to see Rey in the building whenever she popped in.

Poe joked that he wanted to hire her to just sit in the corner of the kitchen and yell back at Kylo every time he laid into someone. The two of them could trade insults while everyone else carried on and got their work done in relative peace (well, as close to peace as one could get while two people screamed curse words and insults at each other in the corner).

The strangest part was, they both seemed to _enjoy_ the exchanges, Rey coming by at odd times when she knew the restaurant was busy and Kylo was more likely to be set off by someone and Kylo always seeming far more relaxed after Rey screamed at him for a while.

Poe once remarked it was the oddest mating ritual he’d ever seen. Finn had choked on his dinner and Jannah laughed so hard at Finn’s reaction that she snorted soda out her nose (only after it was clear Finn was okay, of course).

And _that_ was the night the conspiracy began.

It started small, a seemingly stray comment here or there, moving on to hushed conversations just conveniently close enough for Rey or Kylo to overhear.

Then Poe took Finn for a getaway on their days off, meaning Finn wouldn’t be available to help Rey with the Monday night kids cooking class. Somehow Kylo ended up volunteering to help her.

At the center.

The one his mother ran.

And as far as he knew, Rey was unaware of that connection. He thought about backing out, nearly told her several times he wasn’t going to be able to do it. Yet somehow, Monday evening found him walking down the hallway with a box of ingredients in his arms.

It was likely his mother wouldn’t even be there. Or if she were, she’d probably stay in her office.

It was only as he turned a corner, the low murmur of voices catching his attention a moment too late, that he realized he had vastly underestimated how much his mother liked Rey. The two women were standing close together, Leia with a friendly hand on Rey’s forearm as they laughed about something.

Kylo froze, grip tightening around the box. He couldn’t do this. He needed to leave.

Now.

He lifted one foot, taking a single step back. Maybe he made some sound, or the movement registered in Rey’s peripheral vision, because she looked up, that bright smile directed at him and suddenly he was frozen in place for a vastly different reason. “You made it!”

He nodded dumbly, swallowed past the lump in his throat as his mother turned. It was like time slowed down, that life-flashing-before-his-eyes moment before impending disaster. His mother turned to see who Rey was speaking to and did a double take. “Ben?”

Kylo took a breath, cleared his throat, and mumbled a greeting. “Uh, hi, Mom.”

There was a tightness in his chest at the play of emotions and thoughts over Rey’s face. Confusion, first, then shock, and a faint flush as her features hardened in anger. Despite how often the two of them argued, he’d only seen that expression once—the day she shoved him and chewed him out for yelling at Poe and Finn.

Kylo tried to brace himself, waiting for whatever punishment she deemed fitting, when a young voice rang out from the open doorway behind her. “Miss Rey? It’s time for class to start.”

Rey closed her eyes and took a breath before pasting a smile on her face and turning to the child, a boy who couldn’t be more than eight or nine. “Quite right, Geoffrey. Please tell everyone to wash up and we’ll get started.” She turned back to face Kylo. “We’ll discuss this later. Right now, the children are waiting.” She turned on her heel and marched into the room.

Leia’s eyes flitted from the doorway to her son, a look on her face that Kylo didn’t like one bit.

“Mother, no. Whatever it is, no,” he said as he brushed by her and into the room beyond. There were eleven children in the room, grouped at laminate topped workstations and all looking expectantly at Rey as she stood at the front of the room. Geoffrey appeared to be the youngest, and the oldest was maybe fourteen, though most appeared somewhere in the middle.

“Alright, guys,” Rey called as Kylo hovered near the doorway, still holding the box. “Remember, Finn told you last week he wouldn’t be with us tonight, but we have a special guest to help.” She looked at Kylo, beckoning him forward. He could tell she was irritated with him, but she was covering it admirably well. He started forward, making it about three steps before the gasps and excited chatter began. “Okay now, hold it down. Guys, this is—”

Rey’s voice was cut off by one of the boys in the back. “Holy shit! It’s Kylo fucking Ren.”

“Tucker!”

“Uh, sorry Miss Rey.” The boy stared down at the counter in front of him as he flushed a deep scarlet.

Kylo was certain Rey was fighting not to laugh as she paused and crossed her arms. “Okay, I think we know who’s in charge of clean up tonight.” Tucker mumbled something that sounded like ‘fair’ and shuffled awkwardly to the side as one of the girls at the next table stepped over to him, asking if she could help him, and that had him flushing for an entirely different reason. Rey bit her lip and turned to the side, eyes catching Kylo’s as she did. “Ah, okay then. Everyone washed up?” Voices piped up variations of ‘yes’ from around the room and Rey pushed up her sleeves. “Well then, let’s get started, shall we?”

By the end of the class, Kylo was glad he hadn’t backed out on Rey. The evening had been surprisingly fun. The level of skill some of the kids demonstrated had been impressive, and most of them were a year or two younger than he had first thought (Geoffrey was by far the youngest at 7 years old). The last half of the time block was dedicated to eating what they had prepared, clean up time, and voting on what they wanted to do the following week. Rey had given the kids a budget to work within and reminders about balanced meals. A lively debate broke out about the merits and pitfalls of broccoli, and whether they should be allowed to count pasta salad as a vegetable side if it contained the broccoli.

Kylo found himself impressed by the depth of their knowledge and the way Rey had approached “Kids Cooking Lessons” as an opportunity to teach multiple life skills. More than just cooking (and making sure they got a healthy meal at least once a week), they were budgeting, checking sales and learning how to read advertisements, calculating the best deals, making actual grocery lists, menu planning, and reading recipes and nutrition labels.

He was a little bit in awe of her, not that he was ready to admit that.

Most of the kids were gone, either walking home in groups with older siblings or picked up by a parent or older relative, when a tiny girl toddled into the room. “Bibi! Did you slip out of the nursery again?”

The child clapped her hands and reached for Rey, happily proclaiming “Open door!”

Rey picked her up with a sigh. “Yes, sweet girl, I can tell you did. What’s the rule?”

Bibi pouted. “Stay with grown ups.”

“That’s right.” Rey’s tone was somehow stern but gentle. “Come on, let’s get you back to Jyn before she has a heart attack. Ready guys?”

Kylo watched curiously as Tucker helped Geoffrey into his jacket and took his hand, the pair following Rey to the door. She paused there, giving him a hard look over Bibi’s head. “You better be here when I get back. We have things to discuss.” Kylo dipped his head and settled back onto a stool at the front workstation, unsure why he wasn’t arguing (even though he knew he was in the wrong…why wasn’t he arguing?) to wait.

Rey was back fairly quickly and seemed almost surprised to find Kylo waiting where she left him. She paused in the doorway, leaning wearily against the frame with her arms crossed over her chest as she studied him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She didn’t yell. Hell, he could barely even hear her. And the anger he’d expected wasn’t there. Instead Rey just seemed…hurt, and that was somehow worse than anything he could have imagined. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, ran his hand through his hair as he stared at his feet.

His shoes needed to be replaced. He stared at what he was pretty sure was a hole forming in the toe of one as he tried to figure out what he even wanted to say to her.

I’m sorry was probably a good place to start, but it didn’t seem _enough._ He couldn’t explain himself really, but he was willing to try.

He _wanted_ to try.

A sudden realization hit him all at once, as if someone had punched him.

Kylo looked up, licked his lips nervously, and opened his mouth to apologize, to try and tell her why he hadn’t wanted her to know who he was or, more to the point, who his parents were. To tell her he hadn’t wanted to see the disappointment he knew she would feel. To tell her he … well, to tell her lots of things. What came out was, “Come for a drive with me?”

Rey’s eyes widened in shock, mouth dropping open a bit, but only for a moment before her lips curved in a wicked smile, the gleam in her eye telling him what she was about to say. “Are you going to let me drive?”

Kylo stood up straight, toying with his keys. “Don’t push it.”

“I’m just saying, it would be an effective method of apology,” she said, flipping off the light switches and leading him to her office to grab her things.

“My son doesn’t apologize.”

Rey and Kylo jerked around, surprised to find Han standing in the hallway. Something in Rey’s posture changed as she turned fully, stepping half in front of Kylo. “I wonder where he gets that from?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rey glared at Han, hands on her hips. “You had plenty of opportunities to tell me who he was too, you know. Don’t think I’m not cross with you as well, and don’t you dare pretend you didn’t realize I didn’t know.” She stalked off down the hallway, not giving either man a chance to speak.

Rey reached the exit door and turned back, still fuming as she called out to Kylo, “Are you coming or not?” She shoved the door open and walked out, not waiting for him to respond.

Kylo stared mutely at the door as it clanged shut before glancing back at his father. Han was staring at the door with a grin. “You better go, kid. She might just hot wire your car if you take too long.” Kylo took the excuse his father had just handed him and hurried after Rey. He could hear his father’s laughter trailing behind him as the door swung shut behind him.

Rey was leaning against the side of his car. Oddly enough he didn’t even consider smudges, fingerprints, or scratches in the paint. He just kept thinking he wished it was still daylight, so he could take out the T-tops and watch the sun glint off her hair and…where the hell had _that thought_ come from? He froze as she stroked one finger along the edge of the door, chills traveling up his spine.

It was cool out, that was all, and the breeze was picking up. Right.

Rey smirked as he tugged at his jacket, pulling the collar up around his neck and, very slowly, pressed one hand in the center of the driver’s side door, leaving a clear handprint on the glossy black paint as his eyes narrowed and he made a sound that he assured himself was definitely nothing like a whine or whimper.

Kylo tightened his hand around d his keys, shocked and appalled that he had even considered letting such a monster behind the wheel of his baby, no matter how guilty he felt about leaving out the very important fact of his parentage. “Woman, I will let you get away with that _exactly once,_ ” he hissed. “Do it again and they’ll never find your body.”

Rey grinned and walked around to the passenger side, waiting as he used his key on the door and flipped the switch to unlock her side. She slipped into the low passenger seat with a little hum of pleasure, settling her bag by her feet as she watched Kylo manage to fold himself into the vehicle. Rey sighed happily as he started the engine, the car coming to life with a rumbling purr, sending light and pleasant vibrations through the vehicle.

Despite the chill in the air, they rolled down the windows as Kylo drove with no real destination in mind, neither of them breaking the silence for a while. Eventually, as he guided the car down a meandering road in a rural-but-with-well-maintained-roads area of the next county, Rey’s soft voice broke into his thoughts. “So why didn’t you tell me? You knew where I work, and I think you knew no one else had told me.”

He didn’t look away from the road. “I…at first I thought maybe Poe or one of my parents had to have told you. But then…well, I liked that you didn’t know. You weren’t judging me on who I was _supposed_ to be, because of my family history.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, hands clenching on the steering wheel. “I didn’t want you to find out and have that change the way you looked at me.” He did glance over, quickly, before turning his attention back to the road. No other cars were out but that meant the risk of wildlife in the road was even higher.

That was the only reason, he told himself. He was being a safe driver.

Rey watched Kylo in silence for a while. “I thought…well, it seemed like you didn’t trust me. Or maybe like to you were embarrassed or…ashamed…of knowing me.”

“What? Rey, why would you think that?”

Kylo pulled onto the shoulder, putting the car in park and cutting the engine before he turned in his seat. Rey stared at her hands, twisting nervously in her lap. “Look at me, Rey. Right now.” She turned her head slowly, eyes suspiciously bright. “I’m only going to say this once. I could never be ashamed of you, in any way. If anything, you should be ashamed of any association with me. I…a lot of the decisions I’ve made have been pretty horrible. A lot of people got hurt, people I was supposed to love. I got lucky, that Poe would even still talk to me, that my parents…” he trailed off, shook his head, turned back to face the windshield. “My parents have their issues, and I guess I felt like they were never there, like they didn’t try hard enough. But they love me, I know that, and I was a monster…for some reason they forgave me, let me come back home when I realized what I was turning into. They shouldn’t have. At least I don’t think they should have. But they did and I’m selfish enough to want that.”

Kylo trailed off and leaned his head back, staring up through the clear glass above him. “I’m not a good person, Rey, but I want to be better. You make me feel like maybe I can. And I guess…I was afraid if you knew, if they’d told you anything about me, maybe you wouldn’t want to be around me anymore.”

She stayed quiet, long enough that the ache in his chest threatened to swallow him whole. He reached for the key, still in the ignition. “I should take you home.”

Rey’s hand covered his. “Don’t. Not yet. Maybe…just drive a little longer?” Neither of them spoke as he turned the engine back on and put the car in drive. He glanced over his shoulder, checked his mirrors, and pulled back onto the road, this time with an actual destination in mind. He was more relaxed, driving with one hand on the wheel, the other resting absently on the center console.

To his credit, he didn’t jump or veer off the road when Rey’s hand covered his, a warm, gentle weight. “They did tell me about you, you know, your parents. I mean, not _you_ you. But they always talk about their son, about their Ben, and it’s always…” she shook her head, not sure what she was trying to say. She squeezed his hand lightly and tried again. “They’re proud of you. It’s in everything they say, the way they look when they talk about you. They love you. I like to think…if I had a family…I would hope they talk about me that way.”

Wordlessly, Kylo shifted their hands, lacing their fingers together as he drove another fifteen minutes. He didn’t let go of her hand until he pulled into a parking lot at a four-way intersection that seemed to pop up out of nowhere. A twenty-four-hour gas station and convenience store claimed the opposite corner, and Rey could see a car wash on the other side of the cross street, and a few darkened buildings across the way. She looked at the unassuming concrete building in front of them as Kylo shut off the engine and undid his seat belt. “Are you sure they’re even open?” she asked, nose wrinkled in doubt.

“For us, yes. Come on, let’s get ice cream.”

Rey shivered in the cool air as she walked with Kylo into _Luke’s Fantastical Frozen Foodstuffs._ She wasn’t so sure about the place, but she was trusting Kylo. At least until he glanced at her as he reached for the door and, looking greatly concerned, said, “Just, ah, don’t let him talk you into trying anything with blue milk listed in the ingredients. I don’t know what it is, but it’s…” he shuddered and made a face as he trailed off and opened the door for her, calling out, “Uncle Luke, there’s someone I want you to meet!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any interest in the music that inspired this, there is a [Dinner Service Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ILhHcKmclZeeklrjnEFow?si=CMlXkqyDTKu2dkA6knb58w)
> 
> Also, I gave Kylo my father's car (well, one of them) the 1986 Buick Grand National (with optional T-top). Sorry, no link to provide at the moment as the only pictures I have are not mine, but an image search should prove fruitful.


	4. Tented

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The exterminator is tenting Rey's house and all her roommates have a place to stay. Kylo has a guest room. Poe thinks it's the perfect solution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Rey has another (mild-ish) allergic reaction, and doesn't necessarily make the best decision about how to deal with it.
> 
> Also, those of you who caught the bit about peanut butter brownies in chapter 2, good work. I had wondered how many people would notice that when I wrote the chapter (yes, it was intentional--allergies are sneaky). The batch she made for Finn was before Rey found out she was allergic.

“So, what do you miss most?”

Rey didn’t even hesitate. “Peanut butter.”

Kylo smiled, a genuine smile she had seen more and more of as time went on and he grew more comfortable with her. “Just in general?”

She thought for a moment, head cocked. “Peanut butter brownies. They’re Finn’s favorite, too. I tweaked this recipe I found until it was just perfect—fudgy, dark chocolate, chewy brownies with peanut butter swirls. It took a while to figure out how to keep them from getting too greasy, from the peanut oil. And then almost as soon as I did, I suddenly couldn’t eat peanut anything anymore. Literally, one day we ate an entire batch, just the two of us, and the next day I was in emergency after half a peanut butter cup.”

She looked so sad Kylo regretted asking the question. He shifted uncomfortably in the small booth, toying with the spoon in his now-empty sundae bowl.

It was the third time he’d taken her to Luke’s. Unsurprisingly, and far unlike his own relationships with his relatives, Rey and his uncle had taken an instant liking to one another and they got along well. Not well enough for Luke to tell her what was in “blue milk” but well enough that Luke offered her a free milkshake to go every time she and Kylo said good night to him.

After the second time she didn’t even look to Kylo for permission to have food or drink in his car, and she was careful enough he didn’t even do more than grumble that she better not spill it.

A nervous tension settled over them as he slotted the key into the ignition. “So, ready to go?” he found himself asking, wincing at the inanity of it. What was he going to do if she said no? Get out of the car and go back inside?

Rey nodded, not looking at him as she sipped at the cookies and cream milkshake Luke had given her.

They were going to his place. After this third non-date. Not for… _that_. But it would be a lie to say he hadn’t thought about it.

And that was exactly why this was an absolutely _terrible_ idea.

They were friends. He genuinely liked spending time with her. Rey’s presence didn’t irritate him the way so many people did just by breathing the same air.

So when, last Tuesday, Kaydel had mentioned that she received a call from their landlord that the exterminator said the house needed to be tented for fumigation, and everyone except Rey seemed to already have a place to go, Kylo had, between bites of chicken and sautéed spinach, unthinkingly muttered that he had an empty guest room.

Poe had jumped on the idea, proclaiming it was the perfect solution. Finn would stay with Poe, Kaydel planned to be with Jannah, Rose was going to her sister’s house, and now Rey could stay with Kylo instead of crashing on Poe’s (lumpy, uncomfortable, too-small) couch.

Rey hadn’t said anything for an awfully long time, staring intently at her plate. And she hadn’t been eating.

He asked her to help him get dessert out of the cooler as an excuse to talk to her privately. Fortunately, she agreed, following him quietly into the kitchen while Rose and the restaurant staff continued talking, seemingly oblivious to the tension that had settled over the head of the table after Poe accepted Kylo’s offer for Rey, without actually consulting her.

They moved around one another awkwardly, Rey looking like she might bolt at any moment and Kylo too much of a coward to break the silence, now that he actually had a private moment with her. Rey picked up a tray of bowls and spoons, paused, and put it back down. She leaned back against the prep station and cleared her throat, hesitantly meeting his eyes. “You don’t…I’m sorry, if Poe pushed you into that, when he just accepted for me. I’ll figure something else out. There’s a motel near the center. They do weekly rates.”

Kylo sucked in a breath, eyes widening just a hint. “Uh, no. You aren’t staying _there_.” At her mutinous glare, he hurried to continue. “I mean, not that I have the right to decide, or anything. I just…Poe didn’t make me do anything. I meant it when I said you can stay with me. I _do_ have an empty guest room, and my place is between here and the center. You probably wouldn’t even see me, much. I’m always here and our schedules don’t exactly sync up. I just…thought maybe I’d made you uncomfortable. I mean, you’ve only known me a couple of months and I’m not exactly the best potential temporary roommate. If you don’t want…I’m sure there are other options.” He paused, taking a steadying breath. “My parents would be happy to have you,” he looked up when she scoffed. “Or not…just, please don’t stay at that sleazy motel? It’s not safe—I’m pretty sure the place should have been condemned years ago.”

Rey seemed to relax. “OK. I won’t. And if you really meant it, I suppose it’s not the worst idea ever.”

“My kitchen’s well stocked,” he said with a grin.

“You should have led with that!” she chirped back happily.

There hadn’t been any other issues, and Kylo had even volunteered to help at Monday’s cooking class again. Rey had informed him that Finn would be running things, to which Kylo had surprised all three of them by saying he just wanted to help.

Finn and Poe had exchanged a meaning-laden look, but Rey had just smiled at him that way she had that said she was particularly pleased with something.

This time Bibi had shown up just as the lesson started. Kylo was at the back of the room, helping Geoffrey (whom he had learned was Tucker’s little brother) and felt a sudden tug on his pants leg. He’d startled and uttered a word he probably shouldn’t have (although he was aware all the kids knew it, thanks to Tucker’s outburst the first time Kylo had helped with the class), but fortunately he hadn’t dropped the knife he was using. “Well, hello Bibi. Are you supposed to be here?”

She held up her arms. “No, no, no! Open door!” she chanted happily, seeming quite proud of herself.

“Rey, the escape artist is back,” Finn said, gesturing to the back of the room where Kylo was lifting the girl into his arms with a grin as she proclaimed “Open door,” in that particular barely-three-years-old sing-song way she had. Rey froze for a moment, watching Kylo with the little girl, and the unbidden thought that he’d be a great dad caught her off guard.

Where had that thought even come from?

Rey wasn’t even sure she wanted kids.

Wait, why was she jumping to thinking about kids of her own? In relation to Kylo being a father?

Kylo caught her eye and nodded when he realized she’d seen Bibi, before shifting Bibi into one (massive, toned, tattooed) arm as his other hand gently caught Geoffrey’s hand before it touched the knife on their workstation and softly reminded the little boy about the rules of knife safety without talking down to him.

This was a side of Kylo Ren that she had only seen the slightest hint of before, and Rey was finding she liked it.

A lot.

As in, she was pretty sure her uterus was cheering wildly while using her ovaries as pompoms (and the grotesque and weirdly American imagery of that thought made her realize she’d been allowing Rose and Kaydel to talk her into having girls’ night and watching FAR too many American high school romcoms of late).

Rey was saved from her distraction by the arrival of a panting Jyn Erso, one of the main supporters of the center. Aside from donating money (and a lot of it as far as Rey knew), Jyn volunteered every week to watch the youngest children, the ones with nowhere to go after daycare hours but too young for the classes, in the nursery. She also showed up at every special event and was only a phone call away if someone needed help, although the one time she assisted in covering the cooking class supposedly resulted in needing to replace one oven and an impromptu pizza party so that the children at least got to eat _something_ that night. At least that was the story Jyn and Leia told Rey when she started working at the center, in an attempt to assure her she couldn’t possibly do worse with cooking classes. Rey had gone home that very night and convinced Finn to help her every week.

Jyn and her husband Cassian Andor were also fostering Tucker, Geoffrey, and Bibi, after meeting them at the center, and were hoping to begin the adoption process soon.

“Bibi, my darling, _why_ must you vex me so?” Jyn said, overly dramatic as usual when Bibi fled in search of Rey. Rey suspected that was part of why Bibi found so much joy in her game.

For her part, Bibi clapped her hands, grabbed a fistful of Kylo’s hair, and screamed “Open door!” in his ear.

He winced and calmly covered her hand, looking to Rey. “Uh, a little help?”

Between the two of them, Rey and Jyn managed to extricate most of Kylo’s hair from Bibi’s fingers, while sternly reminding the little girl “We don’t treat our friends that way,” (Jyn), and “We have to be gentle with our friends,” (Rey). Bibi apologized with a sloppy kiss to the side of his face followed by what was probably meant as a gentle pat but was really more of a smack to the same spot, before allowing Jyn to carry her back out of the room, waving merrily as she laughed over Jyn’s shoulder.

Fortunately, the rest of the session passed without incident and it had been Rey’s idea to go for a drive and maybe stop at Luke’s. At the time Kylo had thought it was just because she wanted to, but as they left the ice cream shop and Rey was so strangely quiet, he began to wonder if she had been trying to delay going to his apartment.

He drove for a few minutes, stewing as Rey sipped at her milkshake. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you somewhere else?”

Rey jerked in her seat, startled. “What? Why? Oh, God, I knew it, you were just being nice!”

“No, I told you, I meant it. You’re just…really quiet tonight, like something’s wrong, and I thought…”

Rey looked at him as he trailed off. “Oh, no, it’s not that. It’s…” she shifted in her seat. “I just…” her voice was softer, nearly a whisper as she finally finished. “I _really_ like you, Kylo. More than I would have thought possible. And I guess I was afraid that I’d say or do something to make you uncomfortable.” Rey curled in on herself, nearly a ball in the passenger seat, like she was trying to protect herself from his reaction.

Kylo’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, eyes locked straight ahead as he drove and Rey drew in a shuddering breath and closed her eyes, sure he was going to drop her at Poe’s and never speak to her again. She was surprised when, moments later, he pulled off the road next to an empty pasture and put the car in park. He got out of the car and she bit back a sob, then yelped in surprise when her door, the one she was curled against, opened. Her seat belt was fastened, so she couldn’t exactly fall out of the car, but that didn’t stop the momentary panic when she was suddenly no longer supported.

Was he going to make her get out here and walk home?

Panic faded to confusion when she felt his hands—oh, so gently—come to rest on her shoulders.

“Rey? Look at me? Please?”

His voice. Oh, she’d heard him yell and curse, laugh and tease, growl and grumble, but this…this pleading and wonder was new.

So, she looked at him. Dimly, she had a split second to be impressed at how he’d folded himself down to squat beside the low car and then his lips and were on hers and she stopped thinking.

This…this was what she’d been looking for.

Her skin tingled…well her lips did.

_Wait._

That wasn’t just from the kiss.

Rey pulled back with a gasp. She remembered now. He’d had a sundae.

Topped with cherries. Her fingers came up, brushing over her lips. The swelling was minimal, but she could feel a rush of heat to her face and the tell-tale crawling of her scalp as her body broke out in hives. She grabbed for her bag. She didn’t have to tell Kylo anything.

“Shit! Stone fruits! I forgot!”

“Kylo, it’s okay. I did too. There’s a cherry in my shake, that’s just as likely to be the cause,” she insisted, digging for the bottle of medication in her bag and dumping two pink pills out into her palm. “Um…do you have any water?”

“Ah, no.”

Rey shrugged, and swallowed the pills dry.

“Why about your injector?”

“Don’t have one,” she mumbled.

_“What. Do. You. Mean. You. Don’t. Have. One?”_

Rey rolled her eyes. “There’s some kind of delay, some issue between the pharmacy and my insurance. I can’t afford to pay retail for them.” He opened his mouth and she glared at him before he could argue or offer to pay for it himself. “It’s a fairly mild reaction. After all, I’m still conscious, as you can clearly see.” She looked down and mumbled, “It happens all the time these days. Everyone tries but even I can’t keep track of everything I can’t have, and it seems like something new gets added to the list on alternating weeks.”

“Rey, you’re talking about your _life_ here!”

“Do you think I don’t know that? This is my reality, Kylo! Every day I wonder if this is it, if this is the day I react to something new and don’t make it. Yesterday Rose heated a tin of soup and I nearly passed out, just from the smell! And we have no idea WHY, not the slightest clue what was in it that affected me!”

He jerked, falling back to the ground where he just sat, staring at her in growing horror. He couldn’t imagine…he wanted to lock her away somewhere safe, or maybe put her in a bubble.

“I’m sorry…I shouldn’t be taking it out on you,” Rey said softly, wringing her hands in her lap. “Listen, once the meds really kick in, I might get…a little loopy.” She glances at him again. “Rose and Finn say it’s basically like I’m drunk. No brain-to-mouth filter, everything’s suddenly really funny, I get a little…wobbly, I guess…and I just want to sleep. So, if I get a little crazy…just don’t panic, okay?”

Kylo stared at her for a moment longer, ran a hand through his hair with a sigh, and nodded once before clambering to his feet. He walked around the car and climbed back into his seat, fastening his seat belt, and turning the key in the ignition in a practiced motion. As he checked his mirrors and pulled back onto the road, he glanced over at her again before turning his attention back to driving. “What _should_ I panic over?”

Rey seemed to be fighting to concentrate, and God help him, he thought it was adorable the way her nose wrinkled as she pursed her lips and squinted. “Ah…let’s see,” she said, the hint of a lisp creeping in to slur her speech. “If I pass out, of course.”

“Right, kind of figured that one.”

“Um…if my lips and tongue start swelling again, I should probably get to the hospital. Oh, if I get really cold or my lips or fingernail beds turn blue, that’s probably bad.”

“And how often does that happen, Rey?”

She pouted a moment before answering. “Not terribly frequently. Every couple of weeks, maybe?”

“ _Rey_ , _do I need to take you to the hospital right now?_ ”

She shivered as the question came out as more growl than actual words. “Oh, that was nice,” she breathed.

“ _REY! Answer me.”_

“Hm? Oh. No. I’m feeling much better. Will you growl at me again if I’m naughty?” She gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth, aware she’d said the words out loud.

Kylo smirked. “Is that what you meant by no filter? You’ll say everything you think, whether you mean to or not?”

Rey didn’t answer, hand still firmly over her mouth.

“So, what if I ask you to tell me more about how much you _really like_ me?”

Rey whimpered, cheeks growing pinker but not from allergic reaction this time. “Please don’t,” she squeaked out.

“I won’t,” Kylo said, “and I’ll stop teasing you while you’re under the influence.”

Rey must have reached the “suddenly everything’s funny” stage of the medication’s side effects, because she started giggling, before progressing quickly to outright laughter, complete with snorting and tears streaming from her eyes.

By the time they reached the outskirts of the city, he had turned on some music and Rey was talking back to the radio—arguing with song lyrics and waxing philosophical about some kind of cereal commercial. She certainly kept him entertained for the length of the drive.

She wasn’t out of it, exactly, just extremely amused by her own actions (and based on the sidelong glances she kept shooting his way when he laughed, probably pleased with his reaction as well).

At least until he pulled into the parking garage for his building. By the time Kylo maneuvered the car into his spot and cut the engine, Rey had gone silent. Looking over as he hit the button to release his seat belt, he realized it was because in the approximate two minutes between turning off the street and parking the car she had fallen asleep. With no witnesses and no chance of being caught, he took a moment to just _look_ at her. Only a moment, though, because the way she was slumped over with her head against the window couldn’t possibly be comfortable.

Softly calling her name didn’t wake her. Touching her shoulder just made her grumble at him. A light shake and she swatted at him before managing to curl into a tighter ball than she had earlier, despite her seatbelt still being fastened. He shook his head. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple. Nothing about this woman was simple. He tossed the dregs of her milkshake (which, by some miracle, had not spilled) into a nearby trash can before approaching the passenger door.

Rey blinked sleepily up at Kylo as he unfastened her seatbelt and attempted to get her out of the car.

“Sorry. Medication.” With significant effort she managed to mumble the words (she thought…it was definitely what she meant to say). He was _so_ close, leaning over her with an arm around her and she decided she was absolutely going to blame her lack of impulse control on the side effects later as she lurched up and kissed him. He jerked back, somehow still managing to steady her enough that she didn’t tumble out of the car.

“Pretty sure that’s what got us into this mess, remember?” he asked with a grin very much like his father’s.

Rey shrugged, unable to formulate a reply at the moment.

“Do you think you can at least get out of the car?”

She seemed to really think about the question before another shrug. “Seats fully recline,” she muttered, eyes falling shut again as she somehow managed to coordinate her fingers well enough to pull the plastic lever, demonstrating that particular feature of his car.

Kylo rolled his eyes. “I’m not letting you sleep in the car.” He leaned over her again, managing to get one arm under her back and attempting to get enough leverage to pull her out of the car (based on his initial try, any attempt to actually lift her straight out was probably going to result in serious injuries to one or both of them). He didn’t see the wicked grin on her face as she fisted her hands in his jacket, nearly managing to pull him down on top of her.

“Who said anything about sleeping?”

He could hear her giggle as he froze and let out a groan. “Woman, are you trying to actually kill me? Both of us, even?”

“Kyyylooo,” she whined in response, once again trying to tug him down to her.

“Rey, first off? We will _never_ do _anything_ in this car. _Never._ ” He paused, leaned in close enough his lips _almost_ brushed hers as he continued. “And secondly, if you still feel this way tomorrow, when you are _not_ under the influence, there is an entire list of things I would love to do to you.”Rey gasped, momentarily loosening her grip on him. Kylo backed up a step and abruptly stood. “Now, get out of the car before you really do end up sleeping here. _Please.”_

She stared up at him, suddenly seeming _much_ more lucid and he wondered if it was the shock or if she’d just been toying with him. “On one condition.”

He sighed. They were never getting out of the parking garage at this rate. “What’s that?”

The look she leveled on him was pure heat. “Tell me what’s on the list.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I *think* maybe 2 more chapters? And the rating should apply to the next one (unless the smut train is derailed once again by plot...considering this was originally supposed to be a smutty one shot it could happen...).
> 
> [Dinner Service Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ILhHcKmclZeeklrjnEFow?si=CMlXkqyDTKu2dkA6knb58w)


	5. Ticking Boxes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast gets cold, Han apologizes to Rey, and Rey tries to wait up for Kylo to get home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all...oh my gosh did this get away from me. This final (except for a very brief epilogue) chapter is nearly double the length of the previous chapters. 
> 
> Also I think I have to stop writing smut...it hurts my brain and always reads like a formulaic trashy romance novel. It shouldn't be so har--er, um, DIFFICULT.

Rey woke with a pounding head, sore throat, and eyes so dry it felt like someone had poured sand under her lids as she slept. She sat up with a groan, wincing as the motion made her head throb and her stomach lurch worryingly. It wasn’t fair that she woke up with a hangover when she hadn’t even been drinking, but the allergy medication did have a tendency to leave her more than a little dehydrated, particularly as she had swallowed the pills dry and been so out of it by the time they arrived she had forgotten to drink any water before bed.

Rey leaned back against the padded headboard a moment, hoping the feeling would pass. She ran a hand through her hair, finger combing the worst of the tangles as she thought about the night before.

That kiss…

Oh, that kiss had been everything she could imagine wanting and more, at least until her lips started tingling and swelling.

She glanced at the nightstand, relieved to see her mobile was plugged in and fully charged. Had there been any moisture in her body, she suspected she would have teared up at the two pricey, square-bottled waters and bottle of painkillers sitting beside it.

One and a half bottles of water, two pills, and a shower later Rey was feeling almost human again, and she was fairly certain she smelled bacon. She finished dressing quickly, leaving her hair damp as she hurried out of the guest room and followed the lovely smell of salt-cured pork and the sounds of sizzling to the large and brightly lit kitchen.

Most of Kylo’s flat was dark, the windows covered or tinted and the only light from small, soft lamps, with the furnishings in neutral tones of black and grey and dark wood. The only pops of color were deep jewel tones, mostly sapphire blue and garnet red with the occasional deep green.

His kitchen was an exception.

Oh it was still harshly neutral, all black and steel appliances, the floor tiled in black and white, the walls white and grey, and the countertops all black granite, but the lighting…there weren’t any windows directly into the room but it was so bright it was an almost painful transition from the rest of the rooms. She had a vague memory of him telling her the kitchen was the reason he had chosen this particular place to call home.

Rey winced as her feet met the cool tiles of the floor. She hadn’t expected it to feel quite so cold and she wished she’d taken the time to put on socks. Briefly, she considered going back to the guest room for a pair, but she quickly forgot all about cold toes as she let herself become absorbed in watching Kylo.

He didn’t seem to have noticed her yet, and she leaned against the wall, enjoying the view as he moved around the kitchen with ease. He had that same singular focus she’d seen on him in the kitchen at Supremacy, but there was a casual ease here. Even just the way he moved and held the spatula he was currently wielding were more relaxed than she’d seen him anywhere outside of his car.

His feet were bare, and his hair was still damp too, showing far more wave and curl than when it was dry. A pair of faded, well-worn jeans molded to his body and the simple white t-shirt clung to his arms and the spread of his shoulders.

She could see his tattoos better than she’d ever been able to, and she allowed her curiosity to drive her a step forward.

“I wondered how long you were just going to stand there staring,” he called out, not turning to look at her, and she felt heat rising up in her face.

“What can I say, it’s a pleasant view.” No need to be coy, she mused. She’d told him she liked him, and he’d seen her at her most ridiculous without running away screaming. Rey allowed herself to move closer, swiping a strip of bacon off the paper towel covered plate. It crunched wonderfully, extra crispy but without the hint of being burnt. From this close, and without an audience to notice her looking or a jacket covering his arm, she could see that the intricate swirl of colors starting just above his wrist and traveling up to disappear under his sleeve formed a single tattoo, not multiple small ones. She could make out scales, mostly green, and the tantalizing hint of a claw just under the sleeve. The T-shirt was worn enough she could make out that the jewel bright green continued across the spread of his shoulders to his left arm, but couldn’t quite make out what the picture actually was.

It wasn’t a conscious decision to touch him, more a compulsion. Her fingertips started just below his elbow, skating up along raised lines of ink forming what seemed to be a scaled tail.

Kylo stood frozen, taking a single, shuddering breath as her touch reached his bicep, fingers dipping under his sleeve before stopping at his shoulder, pressing lightly before she drew her hand back. He had enough presence of mind to shut off the burner and move the omelet pan forward before he spun, mouth crashing down on Rey’s as one hand gripped her hip, dragging her against him, and the other cradled the back of her skull, his fingers winding through her damp hair. She made a surprised, squealing sound which quickly faded into a soft gasp against his lips. He took advantage of the parting of her lips, tongue darting out to tangle with hers. He untangled his fingers from the clinging strands of her hair, hand sweeping down her back to settle on her other hip a moment before he shifted his grip, lifting until he could set her down on the kitchen island behind her. She yelped in surprise but didn’t pull away. If anything, she returned his kisses more fervently, hands fisting in the soft cotton fabric of his shirt. Once settled on the island countertop, her legs locked around his waist, and she used her new leverage to pull him impossibly closer to her.

One of them was making little whimpering, whining noises and he thought it was Rey but he couldn’t really be sure. She definitely whined when he pulled away from her lips, her eyes flying open in surprise, but when his teeth pressed gently into the side of her neck she moaned. It wasn’t a bite, but it held the promise of one, and her entire body shuddered at the feeling, so he did it again…and again…trailing a line of kisses and licks and almost bites down her neck, over the hollow of her throat, and nipping at her shoulders and collar bones through her own T-shirt.

A crashing sound startled them both enough to let go of one another, both panting for breath and looking around wildly for the source of the noise. Rey saw it first, a mixing bowl (metal, not glass or ceramic, fortunately) and a wire whisk, forlornly dripping egg onto the floor where they’d landed after being knocked off the corner of the island. Apparently, Rey had been moving more than he realized.

“Um…oops?” she said, shrugging her shoulders. Her face was flushed, lips swollen.

“I’ll get it later,” he practically growled, moving in to kiss her again when her stomach rumbled, giving them both pause. He still kissed her, though not the way he had intended—just a firm press of lips, before he helped her down. “Eggs are probably cold,” he said.

Rey just smirked at him before turning towards the small breakfast table in the corner. “Worth it,” she called over her shoulder. “Now, feed me! Feed me, Seymour,” she ordered imperiously, claiming the chair he normally used, the look on her face suggesting she knew it and had chosen it for that reason.

“Really? Little Shop of Horrors?” She just grinned, and Kylo shook his head, flipping the still mostly warm omelets onto the plates he’d had waiting. He looked at the bacon, and the juice glasses and coffee mugs still on the counter. “You could help me, you know.”

“Why, Kylo, where are your manners? I’m a _guest_ in your home. You can’t _possibly_ expect me to wait on myself.” She finished with an exaggerated flutter of her lashes and a happy laugh and it occurred to him that he would like to start every day like this, just laughing with Rey over breakfast as she teased him.

He insisted on driving her to the center before heading to Supremacy to help Poe go over the inventory and make any necessary adjustments to their grocery and supply orders for the rest of the week. When she playfully complained that she was going to be too spoiled to function if he “kept up with all this” his only response was that maybe he thought she deserved to be spoiled. She gasped and he held his breath, worried he had stumbled over a landmine from her past. Sometimes he forgot that Rey didn’t really like things (other than food-that she would make an exception for) being handed to her, that she had worked hard for everything she had and relying on someone else made her uncomfortable. Fortunately, she seemed to understand he genuinely liked doing little things for her, and he was rewarded with another pretty blush and a small smile she hadn’t been able to fight back. Kylo let his own breath out slowly as he looked for a clear spot to pull over and let her out of the car.

When the vehicle stopped by the curb as close as he could get to the entrance to the center, Rey unhooked her seat belt and pulled the handle for the door before she paused, turning to face Kylo. “I don’t work tomorrow,” she started, eyes darting away from his. “I thought I might…wait up for you tonight. We should…talk about things.” Kylo swallowed hard, a sinking sensation in his gut, but before he could get too upset, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth before practically leaping from the car and darting away as soon as the door closed behind her. He shook his head and sat staring at the building for longer than he wanted to admit.

Rey’s day was busy, which meant it seemed to pass by extra quickly, but also left her completely exhausted. Han caught her on the way out, holding the door for her as they exited the building. “Hey, Rey,” he said. Not ‘hey, kid’ or some other nickname. Her _actual_ name. “Listen, kid, I’m…I’m sorry. For not telling you about Ben. You were right. I knew you didn’t know who he was, and I should have said something that day you got out of the hospital.”

She looked at him, face not giving anything away as he continued.

“I’m not much for apologies, but I wanted…you deserve an apology. From me.”

Rey stared at this man, seeing so many little things that she _should_ have noticed before, so many similarities to his son. “Thank you, Han,” she said after a long moment, allowing an impish grin to curl her lips as she added, “That must have hurt quite a lot.”

The man laughed and shook his head. “Come on, Kid, Leia’s in a meeting for another couple of hours. How about I buy you a burger? Food makes a better apology than words, anyway.”

“I won’t argue with that, and I won’t refuse a free dinner.”

They walked a few blocks to Han’s favorite diner, talking and laughing about the antics of the students in the auto repair classes. They didn’t bother with menus as they settled into a corner booth and ordered bacon cheeseburgers. Rey sipped at her chocolate milkshake and made a face.

“What’s that about? You usually wax poetic about the shakes here.”

“It’s good. Just…Luke’s are better,” she said with a shrug. She didn’t notice Han’s reaction right away, eventually glancing up from her shake at him in confusion when she realized he’d gone unusually quiet. He was staring at her, shock evident. It was nearly comical. “Han? Are you okay?”

Han opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he managed to answer. “How…ah, how do you know Luke?”

“Oh, Kylo took me to his shop. We go almost every week now.”

“Huh…how about that…”

He seemed to be talking to himself.

“Is that odd?”

Han was saved from needing to answer right away as the server dropped off their food, and he managed to delay further by taking a large bite and chewing _very_ thoroughly. Rey folded her hands on the table, ignoring her own food. “ _Han._ ”

He swallowed and looked down at the table before meeting Rey’s eyes. He seemed…haunted, and a little hurt. Rey realized she’d stumbled over an old wound and opened her mouth to tell him to forget it but he chose that moment to answer.

“Just…I hadn’t realized they were even in contact. I thought…well, it had been years.” Han looked out the window, watching people walking past as twilight fell. He looked back at her, the ghost of a genuine smile on his face. “Eat up, Kid, food’s getting cold.”

They started talking again, mostly swapping stories from the center or Han talking about the wild and crazy things he’d done before meeting Leia (and the occasional madness she’d also been involved in) as they ate. After the server asked if they wanted dessert and dropped off the check when they declined, Han gave Rey a steady, serious look. “Thank you, Rey. For giving him a chance to show you who he can be. Who he’s trying to be _now_.”

It was a little too close to what Kylo had said to her, about not wanting her to look at him differently when she found out who he was, who his parents were. She didn’t know what to say, but it felt like Han was giving her his blessing, and that made her eyes a little misty.

Rey made it back to Kylo’s with no issue, letting herself in with his spare key and entering the security code without having to look it up. She flopped onto the bed in the guest room, staring at the ceiling. She really had meant it when she told him they needed to talk, but if she were honest with _herself_ , that wasn’t the only reason she wanted to wait for him. Not even the main reason.

No, she _liked_ him. Genuinely. As a person. Oh, he was absolutely an ass quite often, but he was smart, funny, determined, and surprisingly to those who didn’t bother to look beyond his past and reputation, loyal and caring.

She was pretty sure she was on the verge of falling in love with him.

And she _wanted_ him.

Rey stood and walked to where her bag waited on the dresser. She hadn’t unpacked. Honestly, no longer than she was going to be staying with him she probably wouldn’t bother. She opened the duffel, digging around for fresh clothes, knowing what she was looking for was buried in the bottom. When she packed, she hadn’t wanted to admit to herself that she was already half-planning to seduce him should the opportunity arise.

Kylo found her curled up on the couch, fast asleep. He didn’t want to wake her, but surely she would be more comfortable in a bed. Unlike the awkward angle in the car the previous night, he could probably lift her off the couch and carry her, and the excuse to hold her certainly made the idea appealing, but he wasn’t sure he _should_. She had wanted to talk, and clearly tried to wait up for him if the book that had fallen to the floor and the fact she was fully dressed (in different clothes than she had worn to work, that was interesting) were any indication.

He thought about it too long. Rey’s eyes fluttered open and she smiled softly up at him before confusion came over her face and then she sat up with a gasp. “Oh!” She stretched and gave him a sheepish grin. “Hi. Guess I fell asleep, huh?”

“Looks like it.”

She rubbed at her eyes and patted the cushion beside her. “Sit.” She studied him as he settled his long frame onto the sofa with a sigh. He seemed equal parts nervous and curious.

“So, what do you want to talk about that’s important enough to miss out on sleep?”

“What are we doing, Kylo? Are we dating? Are we just friends? Are we, I don’t know, going to hook up to scratch an itch and then never speak again?”

“Wow, straight to the point, huh? What do _you_ want us to be?”

She stared at him a moment before looking down at her lap. “I suppose that’s fair, turning it around on me.” She looked back up at him. “I thought…I guess I’m hoping for dating.”

Some tension seemed to seep out of him. “Oh, thank God!”

She seemed unsure of his response. “So, does that mean, um, is that something you want too?”

“Geez, Rey, I thought you were going to tell me I was misreading things and you only wanted to be friends, or less.” He reached out, pulling her against his side. She settled against him with a low hum of contentment.

“Nope, definitely not misreading things.” She paused, tilting her face up to him. “Kylo?”

“Hm?”

“There’s something else we should talk about.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, if we are dating…does that mean we can count all those trips to Luke’s and the farmer’s market and the long drives as dates?”

He seemed surprised. “I mean, if you want to. I would like to take you on a proper date though, one we planned ahead of time and both _knew_ was a date, in advance.”

She shifted against him. “That does seem nice.” For a moment, he thought she was going to say something else but she didn’t.

“I didn’t eat tonight. Do you want anything?”

“No. I had dinner with your father.”

“Why on earth would you do that?” He seemed genuinely at a loss. It was…kind of adorable.

“Because he’s my friend, and he wanted to apologize for not telling me who you were. Also, he paid.”

“Now it all makes sense,” Kylo teased before standing. “Regardless, I need food.” She started to stand. “You don’t have to come with me, you know, the kitchen is the next room.”

Rey grabbed his hand. “I know. I just want to.”

She watched as he threw together two sandwiches and a bowl of mixed berries. Kylo growled playfully when she swiped a strawberry. “I thought you didn’t want anything.” She shrugged, reached for another berry, and when that had him distracted blocking the bowl from her, she darted in, stealing the corner bite of his sandwich.

“Had to check it, make sure it was acceptable,” she said, unapologetic. He laughed and shoved the fruit closer to her while shifting the plate with what remained of his sandwiches out of her reach. He made quick work of his food before carrying his dishes to the sink to wash them. She watched him a moment before clearing her throat. “So, what I was saying earlier, about counting the places we’ve gone together as dates…”

Kylo turned to face her, leaning against the kitchen counter. “Yeah?”

“By my count that’s at least eight or nine dates, yeah?”

He ran a hand through his hair and looked at her, not quite sure where she was going with this conversation. “I…I mean, I guess so.”

Rey stood, crossing the room and staring up at him. “Kylo, you know what couples traditionally do after the third date?”

He blinked owlishly and answered with an oh-so-eloquent “Huh?”

Rey grinned, leaning in and stretching up on her toes, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down. “You owe me,” she whispered against his lips before pulling back and staring at him expectantly.

“Rey, what exactly are you saying?”

She leaned back, stepping away and toying with the hem of her shirt. “I’m saying that I think we should have sex, Kylo. Tonight. Right _now,_ in fact.”

His initial response was a widening of his eyes and a choking sound. “Rey, you don’t have to…this isn’t about…I’m not looking for some kind of trade here, or…I don’t…you shouldn’t feel like you have to rush into this.”

She gave him a look and whipped her shirt over her head, revealing a lacy black bra. “Kylo, this is not me feeling like I owe you something. It’s me, Rey, giving you, Kylo, extremely enthusiastic consent to do all of those things you mentioned last night.”

“You really remember all that?”

“Yes. I may have been out of it from the medication, but I remember _everything_ you said to me. Although…I suppose it’s not humanly possible to accomplish all of that in one night, but we can certainly get off to a cracking good start ticking some boxes off the list.” She shoved her jeans down over her hips. The panties matched the bra. “This is me _begging_ you to please just fuck me, because I really want you to and if you keep up this weird gentlemanly resistance, I may just _explode._ ” She went back to peeling the skintight jeans off, stumbling a bit and hopping on one foot as she fought to regain her balance.

Kylo reached out, steadying her with his hands on her upper arms. She looked up at him, lips quirked as she said, “This really works better if you take your pants off.” He just stared at her, letting his hands drop. She shrugged. “Or not. Whatever, if that’s a thing you’re into I can work with it.”

He seemed frozen, staring at her there, in his kitchen wearing only lacy scraps of fabric that passed for underwear. He tried to remember all the reasons this was a bad idea. _Tried._ She grabbed one of his hands, placing it over her lace covered breast and he made that choking sound again as she moaned and her eyes fell shut. His hand seemed to have its own agenda, massaging at the flesh under his palm, and she made another breathy moan, pushing herself more firmly into his hold and reaching for his other hand.

Kylo broke. He swooped down, claiming her mouth in a bruising kiss, hands leaving her breasts so his arms could lock around her, dragging her against him as he devoured her. She whined, low in her throat as he broke away, jerking his own t-shirt off. _“Kylo!”_

“Ben. Call me Ben.”

She looked at him and nodded. “OK. Ben. I can do that. I’ll call you Ben.” As he reached for his pants she added, “I’ll call you Daddy if it gets you naked faster.”

He froze, staring at her for a moment, a long, considering look. “Maybe next time.” And then his pants fell, the button rolling across the floor somewhere as he picked her up and placed her on the kitchen island, kissing her as he pushed her bra straps down her shoulders. She whined again when he left her mouth, trailing his lips down her neck along the same path he’d taken that morning (was it really only that morning) and continuing down to trace along the lacy edges of the bra cups. Rey pressed closer, fingers threading through his hair in a bid to direct him, get more _pressure_. He resisted, pulling away from her and smirking at her protests. “Someone’s impatient.”

She was going to hit him. Punch the smirk off of his stupid, perfect mouth. It was _cruel_ , leaving her wanting like this.

Then he tugged her off the counter and flipped her around, hips pinning her in place as he made quick work of the hooks on her bra and nipped at her neck and shoulders. Rey leaned over, bracing her hands on the counter for support as one of his hands snaked around her waist and up over her ribs to cup her breast, fingers rolling and pinching her nipple with just the perfect amount of pressure. She couldn’t seem to decide whether to press her ass back against him or lean forward to push her breast more fully into his hand. She felt his lips against the shell of her ear. “Bedroom.” It took her a second to process the word, confused and suddenly cold when he stepped back.

Rey spun around, panting as she faced him. “Kylo!”

He pointed at the doorway. “You heard me Rey.”

She tried again, moving a step away from the kitchen island. “Ben…”

“ _Go!_ ”

He reached around, lightly swatting her ass. “ _Motherfucker!”_ She surprised herself with that one, mouth forming a little “o” and one hand flying up as if she could go back and stop the word from escaping her lips. It wasn’t that she was opposed to swearing, and she was certainly frustrated enough to do so, it had just slipped out with no conscious thought, genuinely surprising her.

Her reaction made him laugh and he stepped forward, pulling her against him and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Come on, I promise my bed will be more far comfortable than tile or granite.” He took a step, pushing her back towards the doorway with his own body.

“ _Ben_ ,” she whined, struggling to get closer to him than walking allowed without putting them both in danger.

“What? Am I supposed to carry you?”

“You could.”

“True. But this first time, you are going to walk into my bedroom under your own power, and I am going to follow you and enjoy the view.”

She opened her mouth to speak and just…couldn’t. Words escaped her.

He leaned in and kissed her, long and slow, taking his time as if tasting her like some fine wine. When she relaxed against him he straightened. “Go on now, be a good girl.”

Her nostrils flared in irritation and he smirked again. Yep, she definitely wanted to punch him.

Later.

For the moment, she turned and walked to his bedroom, making sure to place one foot in front of the other to maximize the sway in her hips.

He let her get all the way to his bedroom door before strolling after her, casually leaning in the doorway when he got there and enjoying the sight of her sitting in the middle of his bed. Her skin fairly glowed against the steely grey comforter.

Rey leaned back against the almost obscene number of pillows arranged at the head of the bed. She hadn’t gotten a proper look at him in the kitchen, first too preoccupied with getting him out of his pants and then distracted by the amazing sensations of his hands and mouth on her skin.

Black boxer briefs fought to contain him. She studied the corded muscles and fair skin peppered with moles and beauty marks, allowed herself to show him how much she liked what she was seeing as her eyes followed the trail of dark hair down his belly before moving back up, taking in his chest and shoulders, the mass of his arms folded over his chest.

Meeting his eyes, she shifted on the bed, fingers hooking under the elastic of her final (small) piece of clothing. Rey pulled the fabric down her legs and off, tossing the black lace towards the foot of the bed where it landed and lay in a forlorn heap. “You’re too far away, and overdressed,” she said, patting the bed beside her.

She shrieked and dissolved in a fit of giggles when he took three steps into the room before _launching_ himself at the bed, landing with a harsh bounce. “Better?”

“I suppose,” she said, trailing one finger over the scaled tail inked on his right arm again. “You’re still overdressed, though.”

“Maybe I’m playing hard to get.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Or maybe I just want you to… _help_ me.”

Just like that, he’d once again flipped the switch from playful to hot as hell. Rey wondered briefly if she was in over her head with him, then pushed the thought away. It didn’t matter, over her head or not she was all in.

He turned onto his right side, facing her, and she sat up, seizing the opportunity to trace the tattoo down his left arm. A dragon. It was a dragon, the tail she’d traced that morning up his right arm, clawed feet on his shoulder, and she could see another set of clawed feet there on his left shoulder. The head and open jaws trailed over his left shoulder and bicep, down to the elbow, and then the rest of his left arm was red and orange tongues of flame ending just above his left wrist. From what she could see, the dragon’s body stretched across his shoulders. Later ( _much_ later) she wanted to trace the whole piece with her tongue.

He seemed content to let her explore as long as she wanted, but Rey was done with that for the moment. Lying back down she stretched out on her left side, squirming closer until as much of her skin was touching him as possible and throwing her leg over him.

He seemed to take that as a some sort of sign and his hand cupped the side of her head as he claimed her lips again and urged her over onto her back. She groaned when his lips found her breast, giggling when faint kisses and light flicks of his tongue tickled, moaning and urging him closer when he sucked her into his mouth, holding him to her when he gave her more pressure and the edge of teeth.

As his lips traveled farther down her body, she squirmed and panted, unsure if it tickled or felt good when his hair brushed over her skin. She gasped when his tongue dipped into her navel, nearly shouted when he bit her hip, and then threaded her fingers in his hair and _tugged_ when he tried to move lower, urging him back up.

“What’s wrong?” he asked in concern.

“No, nothing. Just…I can’t believe I’m about to say this but maybe next time. I want you inside me, Ky— _Ben_ —please.” Her fingers scrabbled at the elastic of the boxer briefs as he moved back up the bed and groped blindly in the nightstand drawer. She managed to get the fabric to his thighs and wrapped her hand around him, momentarily concerned. Maybe she shouldn’t have stopped him. He groaned and twitched in her hand when she squeezed lightly and pumped her hand a few times. Chafing was a bitch and she didn’t want to hurt him but she _had_ to touch. She brushed her thumb over the head of him, smearing a bead of precum over the soft skin.

“Fuck! Shit! Fucking fuck!” Rey released him and jerked away, eyes wide as he flipped onto his back and ran a frustrated hand over his face. “Expired. All of them.”

“This is probably a conversation we should have had before either of us got naked,” she said, “but I’m clean and on birth control. If your condoms have had time to expire I assume that means it’s been a while for you?”

“Ah, yeah, a while.”

“And are you clean?”

“Wha-oh, yeah, yes.” He sat up, face very serious. “Rey, are you absolutely sure?”

“What? That I’m disease free or that I’m on birth control?”

“What? No! That’s not what I meant!”

She sat up, putting a hand on his chest. “I’m sorry, I know what you meant. And yes, I am absolutely sure.”

He shifted around, reaching under the pillows and tugging at something. She was confused and a little apprehensive. Did he have restraints or something? Because while she wasn’t necessarily opposed to being tied down, that wasn’t something they had discussed, either. She felt a relieved sort of confusion when she realized he was just pulling the covers down, revealing vibrant blue sheets under the plain grey comforter. He must have noticed the look on her face because his cheeks went slightly pink. “Sorry. The comforter’s a bitch to wash and I think we’re about to make a mess.”

Words like endearing and adorable came to mind as this perfect (for her) man blushed and refused to meet her eyes. “You’re quite cute,” Rey said. “You’re also not wrong.” She raised up, kneeling beside him as she cupped his jaw, gently turning his face towards hers as she leaned in close enough to kiss him and said, “Proper sex, done well, _is_ messy, and I think you and I are going to do _very_ well.” She did kiss him then, and when she tugged him down over her he went willingly, settling between her thighs with the weight of his torso resting on his arms.

He settled on his side again, still half over her as he trailed one hand down her body, fingers tracing over the wetness between her legs. He was content to play for a few minutes, keeping his touches light as she gasped and growled into his mouth, hips rolling in an effort to chase after his touch. When the playfully growled curses turned into whimpers he took pity, pressing one finger inside her and she gasped, entire body tightening at just that sensation. She gasped and squirmed, hips rolling again when he didn’t _move_. She could feel him smiling against her neck and she cursed at him again. He did move then, sliding his finger slowly back out and adding another, thumb pressing her clit and this time he didn’t leave her wanting. It was exquisite torture, made both better and worse by his low whispers against the shell of her ear, alternating praise and compliments with absolute filth.

It took every ounce of self control to grasp his wrist, tug him away. She trembled. “Told you, want you inside, the first time. _Please_.” She panted for breath as he turned, climbing over her again and lining the head of his cock up with her entrance and pressing forward.

Slow. So slow. _Why_ was he going so slowly?

She begged, pleaded, for him to go faster, harder. He refused, gritting his teeth and insistently saying “not yet” as he inched forward, fighting both their bodies to not hurt her, and to not end things too quickly. Rey’s legs wrapped around him, trying to pull him to her faster and she nearly succeeded but he pulled back and started another slow thrust forward, going a little deeper and groaning into her neck. Kylo lifted his head, staring down at her seriously. “So…when I said it’s been a while…I should probably tell you that ‘a while’ is two years. Technically probably a little longer.”

She stared at him, uncomprehending. How could _this man_ have not been with _anyone_ for two years? It was both appalling and sad, and somehow also filled her with a fiercely possessive pride. He really was hers, and she was going to keep him.

“Anyway, I think what I’m trying to tell you is that I’m pretty sure this is going to end far more quickly than I would like.”

“Kylo…Ben… _Daddy_ …whatever…I don’t care. We’ll just have to do it again later, build up your stamina.”

They were both using way too many words. They shouldn’t be _able_ to form so many words. She shifted, jerking him closer with her legs, and he wasn’t prepared to fight her this time. She hissed at the burning stretch he’d tried to prevent, relishing in the mild pain as he was finally fully inside her.

He stopped trying to move slowly then, pulling out and slamming back into her with enough force the bed shook and groaned. “Again,” she demanded, leaning up to bite his bottom lip. He obliged, the headboard clacking against the wall. “Just like that.”

The orgasm that had been teasingly hovering around her for what felt like hours rolled over her. She might have screamed, she wasn’t sure, and she may have raked her nails down his back (they probably should have talked about that too, not that she would have been able to stop herself but she could have at least warned him). Kylo shifted, lifting one of her legs over his shoulder and she gasped at the change in angle, eyes rolling back in her head. She wasn’t sure if it was an aftershock, another orgasm, or the same one, but in her own bliss she almost missed his hoarse cry of her name before they both collapsed in a boneless heap.

When they could move again, he rolled off of her and she gave his shoulder a pat. It was the best she could do, the most she could move.

“It’ll be better next time,” he muttered, face pressed against her arm.

Rey huffed a laugh. “Not that I want to encourage your ego, but better than _that_ might kill me.”


	6. Epilogue - Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three Years Later - Rey catches Ben yelling at Finn. She's not happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A VERY short glimpse into the future.

It took three years for Kylo Ren to officially change his name back to Ben Solo. Then it was time to change Rey’s.

His accidental proposal became a thing of legend. He had the ring, and a plan, but then Rey showed up and caught him yelling at Finn. She stepped in between them, poking Ben in the chest as she cursed and screamed right back at him.

“Don’t you dare, Ben fucking Solo! Finn has been working his _ass_ off in some fucked up attempt to, I don’t know, prove himself to _you_ and you should show a little appreciation.”

Finn made the mistake of interrupting. “Rey, babe, it’s OK, he’s right, I did mess that up.”

She whirled on him, eyes blazing. “Don’t you start! Don’t defend him, Finn. I _heard_ what he was saying to you and it’s unacceptable.”

“He promoted me, Rey.”

“What?”

“Ben just made me sous chef, I got sloppy, and he called me on it.”

“I’m confused. What’s going on?”

Ben cut in again then. “What’s going on is I need someone who can handle things here so I can take time off and fucking marry you.”

Rey’s mouth dropped open and she blinked several times at her boyfriend. “Oh. Okay.”

Her boyfriend who had just realized what he said. “SHIT!” The bowl he was holding bounced off the wall and he stormed out the back door, spun around, and stomped back in, not stopping until he was close enough their clothes were brushing. “What did you just say?”

“I said okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay what?”

“Okay as in yes, I’ll marry you, Ben Solo.”

Ben grabbed her face and kissed her, there in the middle of the kitchen, before tossing her over his shoulder. “Kitchen’s yours Finn, I’m going home.”

Finn could hear Rey laughing all the way to the car. When Poe came in a few minutes later, asking what had happened, Finn just grinned at his husband and told him Jannah won the betting pool, but Kaydel got $50 because Rey said “Okay” instead of “Yes.” Finn would be pocketing $100 because Ben threw a bowl.

Three months later Poe took home $500 because they eloped.


End file.
